Steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles.



R. FULLER. STEERING MECHANISM FOB. SELF PROPELLED VEHICLES,

APPLICATION FILED PEB.6,1908.

PatentedJune 15, 1909.-

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR WITNESSES: m w

A TTORN E Y5 R. FULLER. STEERING MECHANISM FOR SELF 'PROP'ELLED VEHICLES. APPLICATION F ILED IEB.6,1908.

Patented June 15, 1909..

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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A TTORNE Y6 R. FULLER. STEERING MECHANISM POR'SBLF PROBELLED VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED r1113. 6, 1908.

924,757. I Patented June 15, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

A TTORNE Y5 and 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RODOLPHUS FULLER, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Application filed February 6, 1908. Serial No. 414,605.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RODOLPHUS FULLER, a c tlzen. of the United States of America, resldin at Detroit, in the county of Wayne tate of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steermg Mechanisms for Self-Propelled Vehicles, of which the'following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in steering mechanisms for self-propelled venicies, and more especially todevices of this character in which the power to turn the vehicle wheels laterally to change the course of the vehicle, is supplied by a mot or,.and in which a hand wheel is provided to control the application of the power'to the steering mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide means under the. control of the hand wheel, for so controlling the transmission of power from the motor to the steering mechanism that when the hand wheelis turned, the vehicle wheels will be turned laterally in a corres onding ratio, and'when said hand wheel is eld from turning, theapplication of power will be discontinued and the vehicle wheels held against deflection.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain other new and useful features in the construction, arrangement and combina tion of parts, all as hereinafter more fully described reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which- I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying the invention with parts broken away to show the construction and showing the device as applied to a heavy-motor truck having a centrally pivoted forward truck frame; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan view with parts broken away to show the construction; Fig. 4 is an elevation of the side of the steering, mechanism opposite to thatshown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the friction clutch. As shown in Fig.1, 1 is the forward axle of a heavy motor vehicle or'truck and 2. are springs secured thereto, which springs support a truck frame 3 v the body frame 4 by a ing pin 5 in the axis of a circular track 6 on the truck frame, which track is engaged by ,a-series of'balls 7 piivotally attached. to

carried by a ring secured to the body frame and forming a ball-bearing upon which the truck frame turns. I

Secured to the forward side of the truck frame is a semi-circular rack or toothed segment 8- engaged by a pinion 9 on the lower end of a vertical shaft 10 to the upper end of which shaft is secured a large worm gear 11 inclosed within a casing 12 which forms a bearing for a transverse shaft 13 upon which is secureda worm 14 in mesh with the worm gear. Vertically below the shaft 13 is a shaft 15 extending parallel therewith and mounted in hearings on a, suitable-supportingframe 16, and mounted in hearings on the same frame, vertically between said shafts 13 and 15 and extending parallel with these is an intermediate shaft 17. On the shaft 15 are I two op ositely inclined friction cones 18 and two tubular sleeves 19 on the shaft extend outward from said cones through the shaft bearings, the inner ends of said sleeves being formed with cups 20 to receive said cones. These cups are spaced apart ashortdistance so that when the shaft 15 which is longitudinally movable in said sleeves, ismoved to mid-position, the cones will be out of contact with both cups and the shaft will run free. Thrust collars 2-1 are provided on the sleeves between the cups and-the frame 16 to take the end thrust when the. shaft ismoved longitudinally to bring one of the cones into frictional contact with its cup. On one end of the worm shaft 13.is a gear 22 m mesh with a gear 23 on the outer end of one of the sleeves 19 and on the opposite end of said shaft is a gear 24 in mesh with'a smular gear 25 on the intermediate shaft 17 which I gear in turn engages a like gear 26- onthe continuously to impart to the drive shaft a constant speed. I

A vertical steering post 30 is provided with. a hand wheel 81 at its. upper end and at its lower end. ismounted to turn in a suitable bearing and provided with a bevel gear 32 in mesh with a similar gear on the end of a short 7 horizontal shaft 33 mounted in bearingson a with a bracket 38 having an apei-tured'end the worm 14.

"the bodyfraine toward the vertical steering shaft. there may be in'tie nut 37 owing to wear,

steering shaft, turningthe pinion U which threaded shaft 36 which passes th'crethrough,

take the thrust "of the bracket when it is movedlongitudinally of the screw shaft 36 to move the driving shaft and bring one of its 'eones into cont ct withone of the'cups; Jlhe ends of two centering pins 47 mounted in 'ing shaft which is running free, it being in screw-shaft 36 and by reason of it: -.-scre'vvsuitable bracket and providedz with a sprocket engaged by a sprocketf'cli'ain 3% which transmits motion to asimilar sprocket secured upon or formed integral with a sleeve 35. This sleeve is internally screw-threaded to engage a horizontallyextending screw- .and the sleeve is provided on its exterior with axcoa'rse screw-thread of greater pitch than the pitch of the thread on the shaft, to engage a suitable nut 37 formed integral 39 to receive one end of the shaft 15. Secured upon said shaft at each side of the ap'ertured end is a thrust bearing ring 40- to screw shaft 36 extends through its bearing on shaft 10 and is provided with a bevel pinion 41 to engage a bevel gear 42 on said steering To take up any lost motion which etc.,a vertical rock-shaft '43. is mounted in suitable bearings o'n the'body frame and provided with a laterallyextending arm -14 connectcd by a rod 45 to thebracket 38. On the upper end of the rock-shaft is a second arm 46 with its free end between the opposed suitable guides and having springs -1S'sleeved thereon to no'rmally' hold said pins )ressed' firmly againstthe opposite sides of tliea'rm 16 and-exerting a pressure to hold said arm in mid-position. These, springs thus resist the movement of the bracket 38 in either di-f rection on its screw-shaft 36 or sleeve When in the position shown in the draw/ ings, the parts areall at rest except the drivmid-position with its cones out of engagemcntwith their cups, and the tlUClCfldII'lB is held from turning on its king pin, by the pinion 9, the steering shaft 10 being locked by A. turning ofthc hand wheel will, by reason of the difference in the pitch of the threads on the screw-shaft and sleeve, move the brac eket 38 longitinlinally and shift the driving shaft 15, bringing one of tlie cones into frictional engagement with its on Motion is then transmitted from the (lIlViIlg'Shtl-ftthrough the cup 'ztililigclls to the worm shaft, in one direction or the otheL according to which cup is engaged and through the worm and worm gear to the engages the rack on the truck and thus turii. ing said truck on its king pin. .is soon as thesteering shaft 10 starts, motion is trans mitted therefrom by the bevel gea 42 to the threaded engagement with llic sleeve 35, Sfl-ltl' sleeve is moved longitudmally. 'l-hc bracket in the direction of motion 'of the steering shaft and the relati'on'of the screw-thread on the Shaft to that on the sleeve is such that the sleeve n ill be moved by the turning of the shaft, in a direction opposite to the direction in which the bracket is moved by the turning of' the hand wheel and therefore if the hand wheel i s'turned to shift the bracket and throw the clutch, and is thenheld in that position, holding the sleeve from turning, theclutch the hand wheel, which turning will move the sleeve relative to the, bracket and hold the osition to which it was first moved'by thefiand wheel. \Vhen't'he hand wheelis turned, the truck is thus turned in a corresponding ratio, and when said hand wheel is heldfrom turning, the free running shaft 15 connected with the motor isat once The automatically disconnected from thesteeringmechanisin and the truck is held by the worm gearing in the position toxwhich it has been turned, which position corres onds to the position in which the hand whee is held.

There is therefore the same fixed relation between the movements of the hand wheel and truck that there would be if the hand'wheel was directly connected to the steering mechanism to operate the same and the danger that the turning of the truck'will be out of proportion to that of the hand wheehowing to the inertia of theparts, etc., eliminated, Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is: v v

'1. In a steering mechanism for self-propolled vehicles, the combination of a steerin member, a worm and gear to actuate 'sair member, a motor, a hand wheel,.nieans for transmitting motion from'tli'e motor to the worm and gear, and means actuated by the hand wheel for holding said transmitting means in operative position during the turn-- ing of said hand -Wheel. I r 2. In a steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, the combination of'a steerin member, a motor, means ncluding a 'clutc i for transmitting motion from the motor to saidaneniber, and, meansfor automatically, opera ting the clutch to stop the transmission o'motion; v

3. in a steeringi'nechanism for selfpro-g polled vehicles, the combination of'a steerin member, a motor, means including a 'CllltC for transn'iitting motion, manually operated means to cause the clutch to transmit motion from said motor to'said member, and means actuated by the movementof said member to discontinue the transmission-of motion by said. clutch.

4. In a steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, the combination of a steering member, a motor, means for transmitting motion from the motor to the steering member com rising a clutch, a hand wheel, means actuate by the hand wheel for moving said clutch into operative position, and means actuated by the steering member to throw the clutch out of operative position.

5. In a steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, the combination of a steering member, a motor, means for transmitting motion from said motor comprising a clutch adapted to transmit motion in either direction to said steering member, amember for actuating the clutch, a hand wheel, means actuated by the hand Wheel for moving the clutch actuating'member, and means actuated bysaidsteering member to move the clutch actuating member in a direction opposite to thatinwhich itv was moved by the hand Wheel.

6. In a, steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, the combination of a steering shaft, a worm and gear to actuate said shaft, a continuously rotating driving shaft, a clutch for transmitting motion in either direction from said drivin shaft to said worm and gear, a screw-threa ed member adapted to be manually turned to move the clutch into an operative position, and a screwthreaded member actuated by the steering shaft to movethe clutch out of an operative position.

7 In a steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, the combination of a' steering member, a worm'and gear to actuate said member, a clutch to transmit motion to the worm and gear consisting of oppositely inclined cones and cups toreoeive'the cones, means for moving either of the cones into engagement with its cup and means actuated by the steering member for moving said clutch actuating means. i I

8. Ina steering mechanism for selfpropelled vehicles, the combination of a steering shaft, a longitudinallymovable driving shaft, a motor to actuate the driving shaft, cones fixed on the driving shaft, opposed cups on the driving shaft to receive the cones, means for transmitting motion from the cups to the steering shaft, a screw actuated member to move the driving shaft longitudinally, and a screw, shaft actuated by the steering shaft to move the driving shaft.

.9. In a steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, the combination of a steering shaft, a motor, means for transmitting motion from the motor to the steering shaft comprising a clutch, a screw-threaded shaft actuated by the steering shaft, an internally screw-threaded sleeve on said screw-threaded shaft and provided with an external screwthread, a member to actuate the clutch provided with a nut to engage the sleeve, a hand wheel, and means for transmitting motion from the hand wheel to said sleeve.

10. In a steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, the combination with a centrally pivoted truck and a rack-bar on said truck, of a steering shaft, a pinion on said shaft to engage the rack, a worm-gear on the shaft, a worm engaging said gear, a driving shaft, means comprising a clutch to transmit motion from said driving shaft to the worm, a member to move the clutch, a hand Wheel, means for transmitting motion from said hand Wheel to move said member, and means actuated by the steering shaft to move said member.

e 11. In a steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, the combination with a steermg member, of a longitudinally movable drive shaft, oppositely inclined cones on said shaft, sleeves on said shaft having cups to receive the cones, means for transmitting motion from each'of said sleeves to the steering member, a bracket engaging the shaft to move the same longitudinally and bring either of the cones into engagement with its cup, a screw-threaded shaft actuated by the movement of the steering member, a sleeve on the screw-threaded shaft provided with an external screw-thread to engage a nut on said bracket, a hand wheel, and means for transmitting motion from the hand Wheel to said sleeve.

12. In a steering mechanism for self-propelled vehicles, the combination with acem trally pivoted truck and a rack-bar on said truck, of a steering shaft, a pinion on said shaft engaging the rack, a Worm-gear on the.

shaft, a worm engaging the gear, a longitudinally movable driving shaft, oppositely inclined cones on said shaft, sleeves on said shaft, having cups to engage the cones, gears to transmit motion from one sleeve to turn threaded shaft having an external screwthread of greater pitch than the pitch of the thread on the shaft, a bracket having a nut x engaging the sleeve and attached to-the driving shaft to move thesame longitudinally, a

hand wheel, and means for transmitting motion from the hand wheel to said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RODOLPHUS FULLER.

Witnesses: O'rro F. BARTHEL,

C. R. STIoKNEY. 

